The GWCT said the maternal grouse project, which brings together more than four decades of research with field studies of hens, could help them understand what determines grouse breeding success. It hopes the findings can then be translated into practical guidance to help estates build more resilient grouse populations. The announcement comes on August 12 – the so-called “glorious twelfth”, when the red grouse shooting season traditionally begins. Red grouse (Image: PA)Nick Hesford, director of GWCT Scotland, said: “For decades we’ve known what grouse populations are doing because we’ve monitored them consistently across the uplands. Hesford said: “The ultimate aim of the maternal grouse project is to identify factors limiting red grouse breeding success and translating this into practical guidance that can help estates build more resilient grouse populations and deliver more consistent grouse bags in the years ahead.